Regulator for steam-pumps.



No. 637.983. Patented Nov. 28, |899.

K w. A. woon. REGULATOR FDR STEAM PUMPS.

(Application tiled May 3, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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I l@ l? 18 M M 6 8 Jnnrfn mman I \\M\\ Vo kLU I F 2 l l WITNESSES: I` INVENTOR "A 1111 n @LW mi 'ND-637,983.. Pat0nfed NIW. 28, |899. w. A. WOOD. REGULATOR FDR STEAM PUMPS.

(Application med my 8, 1899.) (nu nml.) 2 sums-sheet 2.

wlTNlissEs: INVENTOR i@ --Mm Y' 'AORNEY l `Improvements UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER WOOD, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE COE BRASS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

coNN EcTIcUT.

REGULATOR FOR STEAM-PUMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,983, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed May 3, 1899.

.T alf/ZZ whom t ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALEXANDER WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ansonia, New I-Iaven county, State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful in Regulators for Steam- Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a regulator for steam-pumps which has for its object, first, to regulate the delivery from the pump in accordance with the demands of consumption, and, second, to regulate the speed of the pump in accordance with the pressure against which the pump is acting.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention, and in which similar numerals indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the steam-chest of a steam-pump with my regulator connected with it. Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the auxiliary pump which forms a part of my regulator. Fig. 3 is a View in partial elevation and partial section of the steam-regulator, also showing one of the check-valves.

In the drawings, 5 indicates a steam-chest of a steam-pump; 6, a main steam-pipe leading thereto; 7, a steam-regulator which may be of any required type, preferably such as shown in section in Fig. 3; 8, an auxiliary pump located in front of the steam-chest, secured thereto, and having its piston connected by the coupling 9 to the valve-stem 10.

Manifestly instead of connecting the pist0n of the auxiliary pump to the valve-stem it could be connected to any other moving part of the steam-pump-as, for instance, the stem of the main steam or water piston--and instead of connecting the auxiliary pump to the main pump it could be located in proximity to it, but separated from it, the only requirement being that it shall have a motion corresponding to the moving parts of the pump.

11 is a water-reservoir, preferably mounted on any suitable support above the level of the pump 8. The pump 8 is an ordinary forcepump, but a suction-pump could be substituted, in which case the reservoir could beY Serial No. 715,479. (No model placed below the level of the pump. The reservoir is connected at its bottom through the pipe 12 to the pump S, and in this pipe there is a check-valve 13, which opens downwardly, so as to permit the water to iiow freely. Connected to therear end of thepump 8 is a pipe 14, on the end of which is mounted an air-chamber 15 and also a pressure-gage 16. These parts are not essential and may be omitted. Located in the pipe 14 is a checkvalve 17, which opens upwardly. Connected to the pipe 14 is a pipe 18, which leads to the top of the water-tank 11.

19 is a pipe in which is the check-valve 19, connected at one end to the delivery end of the steam-pump. (Not shown.) It may be connected to the pump-cylinder, deliverypipe, or, in fact, to any service-pipe supplied by the pump, and at the other end to the top of the steam-regulator 7, and is also connected to the pipe 18.

Located in the pipe 18 is a check-valve 20, which opens toward the right-11. e., toward the steam-regulator 7.

21 is a pipe depending from pipe 19, and in the end of this pipe is a valve 22.

The steam-regulator 7, Fig. 3, consists of an inclosing casing 23, in which is mounted a vertically-movable pack-piston 24, connected through a rod 25 to the main steam-supply valve. (Not shown.) The main steam-supply valve is, as may be understood, normally held wide open through the upward pressure of a spring 26. The operation of this steamregulator, which is not original with me, and therefore I do not give any extended description of its parts, is as follows: The pressure of the water from the delivery end of the pump is transmitted backward through the pipe 19 and exerts its pressure on the top of the piston 24.-,which communicates its motion to the main steam-supply valve through the rod 25. Consequently this valve is moved in accordance with the pressure from the delivery end of the pump-t. e., upward by the action of the spring and downward by the water-pressure.

The above is the operation of my improved device so far as concerns the control of the delivery from the pump in accordance with IOO the demands of consumption. The second feature of control-namely, thecontrol of the speed-is practically seldom brought into operation except in case of an accident to the pumping-cylinder or to the mains which are supplied by the pump. Ordinarily in case of such an accident the only thing to do is to close the main steam-throttle of the pump as quickly as possible, and it not unfrequently happens that before this can be done the pump races and destroys itself.

The operation of my improved device for controlling the speed is as follows: The vessel 11 is partially filled with Water, which iiows down through the pipe 12 and checkvalve 13 into the cylinder of the pump 8. This water through the reciprocations of the pump 8 is caused to be discharged through the pipes 14 and 18 back into the reservoir 11. The check-valves 13, 17, and 2O control the direction of the flow. Inithe normal operation of this device--that is, when the pump is Working within predetermined limits-the water follows the circuit from reservoir 11, by pipe 12, pump 8, pipes 14 and 18, (to the left of the check-valve 20,) back to the reservoir. The check-valve 2O is normally held closed by the pressure of the liquid in the pipe 19 from the delivery end of the pump. Should, however, the pressure in the pipe 19 be decreased from any cause below the predetermined limit and the steam-regulator act to open the supply-valve, the pump will move rapidly, in which case the current of liquid from the pump 8 will be diverted from the pipe 18 and flow through the check-valve 20, pipe 19, and be discharged over piston 24, thereby forcing the piston of the steam-regulator down and closing the main steam-supply valve.

In order to prevent the stopping of the pump by the complete closure of the main steam-supply valve and the decrease of waterpressure in the pipe 19, which would again allow the pulnp to start off, I provide that the valve 22 in the pipe 2l shall always be maintained open to a small extent, so that there shall be a constant drip of water from the pipe 2l. By following this plan the main steamvalve is never completely closed, and as a certain amount of steam is allowed to pass into the steam-chest the pump will be maintained in operation, but very slowly, thereby exerting a constant pressure and controlling the action of the pump until the main steamthrottle is closed by the engineer or until the Water-pressure has again been established in the pipe 19 from the delivery end of the pump.

I Wish it understood that I do not limit myself to any particular form of steam-regulator or the particular arrangement of pipes and valves described, as it is obvious that many changes may be made without departingfrom the intent of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A regulator for steam-pumps, comprising an auxiliary pump actuated by a moving part of said steam-pump, a fluid-reservoir, a water-pressure steam-regulator, and the interposed pipe system and check-valves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A regulator for steam-pumps, comprising an auxiliary pump actuated by a moving part of said steam-pump, a huid-reservoir, a circuit of pipes between said auxiliary pump and said fluid-reservoir and containing checkvalves, a water-pressure steam-regulator, a pipe interposed between the delivery end of the pump and the steam-regulator and connected to the circuit of pipes between the reservoir and the pump, and a check-valve between said pipe and said circuit, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A regulator for steam-pumps, comprising an auxiliary pump actuated by a moving part of said steam-pump, a fluid-reservoir, a pipe leading from the bottom of said reser-V voir to the induction end of said auxiliary pump and containing a downwardly-opening check-valve, a pipe leading from the eduction end of said auxiliary pump connected with the upper end of said reservoir and containing an upwardly-opening check-valve, a water-pressure steam-regulator, a pipe interposed between the delivery end of the steampump and the upper end of the steam-regulator, and a pipe interposed between the pipe leading from the eduction end of the auxiliary pump and the pipe leading from the delivery. end of the steam-pump and containing a check-valve opening toward the steam-rege ulator, substantially as and for the purpose set forth;

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in lthe presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER WOOD.

Witnesses:

W. H. PUMPHREY, J. E. PEARsoN.

IOO 

